Warren's World
by cheekybumbum
Summary: In the aftermath of it all, what will happen with our favourite pyrotechnic and Layla?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first fic, be nice please!

'Oh my God, Warren I can't believe you gotta go to Sky High! What happened to leaving all that shit behind when your dad went to jail?' Kayla, Warren's oldest friend, slouched in a corner of his room and glowered at the motionless lump opposite her. Warren grunted and rolled over to face her,

'Like I had a choice,' he spat bitterly, 'when my mom saw this.' And at 'this', his arms lit up with flame, illuminating the darkened room. 'Like I said, no choice. Mom wasn't having another super-villain in the family. _I shall learn to control my powers and not render them to evil_.' Warren screwed up his face in an accurate impression of his mom, super-hero the Lady of Peace.

'Still, you gotta be pissed right? I mean, think what you could do with something like that! Hell, if I could spout flames any old time I wanted you know I'd not be wasting my time in school learning…Mad Science.' she said disdainfully as she dropped his class schedule back on the floor.

'Is your dad Baron Battle?' he snapped as his arms glowed red. Kayla sat quiet. 'I didn't think so. Now get out.' She sat still in the corner of the room.

'Come on Warren, you know you don't really want me to go.'

'I said, get out!' Warren stood up, powered up and threw two fireballs, one after the other straight above her head. She screamed and ran out of the room. As he slumped back on his bed Warren heard her footsteps skid out the front door and winced as it slammed shut. She was the last friend he had from before he turned pyrotechnic and now he'd lost her too. He rolled over with a frustrated growl. He never meant to let these situations get so out of control but somehow it always happened and he always ended up nearly incinerating his friends. Still, he thought, as he lay there staring at the scorch marks he'd left, he couldn't help it. There was so much rage built up inside of him that it just came out through his fists at the slightest provocation. He'd found his powers in a street fight. This guy had tried to mug him and as Warren went to punch him out, this ball of fire had erupted from his fist and almost killed the would-be mugger.

_(Next scene)_

'Warren? Warren Peace get your butt out of bed right now, you're going to miss the bus!' Warren's mom hollered up the stairs and he groaned. She sure as hell wasn't peaceful when he was late. He rolled off the bed, grabbed a jacket and his bag and wandered downstairs.

'Warren did you sleep in those clothes? They're filthy; you cannot start Sky High dressed like that. Put this on and eat this.' She handed him a clean T-shirt and a bowl of cereal. Mrs, Peace, dressed appropriately in a pale yellow suit, watched her dishevelled son get ready for his first day at the school she'd loved so much. 'Now have you got everything? Books, class schedule, lunch?' She recited the list she had memorised from the first days at the other 12 schools Warren had attended and subsequently been expelled from. He had a bad track record sure but Mrs. Peace smiled her gentil smile and prayed for the best this time. She glanced at her watch, 8.40. 'Warren you are going to be late if you don't get to that bus stop this instant!'


	2. Chapter 2

As he trudged towards the bus stop, Warren noticed two other guys and a girl standing there. He hung back, not wanting to be social if there was any possible way on this god-forsaken earth that he could avoid it. As he waited he watched who he assumed to be his future, sorry – present, classmates. They looked your typical all-American high school students, very preppy. He scowled and looked down at his own clothing. Black Docs, black jeans, black T-shirt, black leather jacket. The only bit of colouring came from the red/orange gem set in silver that he wore on his right hand. His dad had given it to him before he went to jail…

'Hey kid! You getting on this or not?' Warren had been so engrossed in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed the giant yellow bus pull up right in front of his face. 'I said, on or not? You deaf boy?' The bus driver was irritating but he controlled the urge to roast the guyand sloped onto the bus. His 6'2" frame meant he had to stoop as he walked along the bus for a seat. The only one left was next to the girl he'd seen at the bus stop. He sunk into it and as he did big black seatbelts strapped him in and a large metal bar clamped him to the seat.

'Hey, what the hell?' Warren shouted as the belts constricted him but the roar of the bus' jet engines drowned the words out as it took off and sailed straight through the clouds towards Sky High.

Lost in the midst of a hundred other freshmen, Warren silently cursed the school, bus journey and everything else about this day as the staggered in a disconcerted manner towards the gym where, they'd been told, power placement would happen. As they stood waiting for Coach Boomer to arrive Warren stared silently into space twirling his ring around on his finger.

_They'd been walking in the park when his dad had suddenly turned to him and pressed the ring into his hand. Warren was confused; he'd never seen his father without his ring. He was supposed to draw power from it or something, Warren had never liked to ask. 'Whatever you do son,' his father had muttered urgently, 'Whatever happens to me or anyone else, you must never take off this ring, it will protect you from –.'_

'POWER PLACEMENT!' Coach Boomer announced. 'All of you line up. You, you're first,' he said, pointing to the boy trying to look inconspicuous at the back of the line. 'Power up!' and at this the boy turned a nickel in the palm of his hand into a white rabbit. Warren raised his eyebrows in disbelief, what sort of morons had he been landed with here? Magicians pulling rabbits out of thin air? If this was Sky High, you could keep it, Warren was leaving. 'CAR!' As the battered vehicle fell from the sky the boy waved his hand and suddenly only a small silver disc was falling.

'Oh great, he really is a magician,' Warren thought.

'A transfigurer then, HERO!'

Next up was a red head wearing a lot of green who didn't believe in 'using powers for violence,' (please, give me a break) and after her came some weakling kid who couldn't do jack! Warren was getting seriously bored and soon his dad would be right and Sky High would just be a place for losers with weak and negligible powers.

'Next!' called the Coach, his voice echoing across the room.

Warren had been so busy in his silently dissecting all that was wrong with the school he hadn't realised he'd got to the front of the line. 'Peace! Get up here!' Warren ascended the steps with a background of whispers rippling around the room, '_Warren Peace, are you serious?' 'Oh my God, they let him in?' 'What do you think he can do?' _The mutterings grew louder and louder in Warren's ears as he stood on the podium, the blood pumped faster and faster and the old feeling bubbled up inside him.

Why was he always the freak show? And even at a school full of freaks, he was still the big bad everywhere he went. Yeah, just because his dad had done some shit in his time, it didn't mean that he would necessarily go the same way. Why were people so judgmental? Suddenly, without warning, and before Coach Boomer had even called 'Power up,' Warren's arms burst into flames, almost reaching his hair already streaked with red. The flames burnt brighter and more ferociously than ever before and many of the students had to turn away, shielding their eyes. 'CAR!' He threw four giant fireballs in quick succession at the falling pile of tin, effectively destroying it.

And just as suddenly as the flames had erupted, they died down again, leaving Warren's arms cold but his hair smoking slightly. It was only then, as he slunk off the podium through the gap in the crowd, that he realised the entire room had fallen silent and the Coach's call of, 'HERO' barely registered in his ears. He slumped at the back of the room; his head hanging down, shielded from the world by his hair, wishing his power was invisibility when he was anything but. Warren knew he'd be permanently powered up if that were the case, then he could be alone; the only way he wanted to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters I write about except Snow Storm who is my own creation.

Lunch; Warren's favourite time of the day. It generally meant he was alone and wouldn't have kids who thought they were all that just because they made hero twittering in his ear. However, the after-effects of power placement still hadn't worn off and Warren was in a bad mood. People seemed to walk by his table more often than any other and their eyes did the usual once over before they whispered something conspiratorially in their friend's ear. Usually this would have resulted in an incident involving the fire brigade and a lot of sweet talk by his mom (this was where she was useful at any rate).

BRRR…BRRR… 

Warren jumped at the vibration in his pocket and took the phone out, eyeing it suspiciously. Who would be ringing him?

'Hello?' he said into the mouthpiece.

'Hi sweetie, it's Mom! How's your first day?' Her voice trilled in his ear and mentally Warren groaned, he did not feel like dealing with this right now. He glanced around the crowded cafeteria and remembered how much Sky High meant to his mom.

'Warren? Are you still there?'

'Yeah, sorry Mom, I'm here. My day is…' Warren cast around for something to say. 'great. Yeah, it's fun. I destroyed a car.' He added mischievously.

'Oh, Warren, no! Whose was it? I swear…'

'Mom, relax, don't you think you'd have been called if it was anything serious?' A rare chuckle escaped from his lips. 'It was power placement, I was allowed to.'

'Oh,' his mom sighed somewhat nostalgically, 'I remember that. Even though my powers didn't really work on a falling car, they still let me make hero. I managed to placate Boomer enough to let me in, which was nice of him wasn't it?' His mother ran along a similar vein for some time until he really couldn't listen any more.

'Yeah, Mom, that was really nice of them,' he interjected, 'I – uh – I gotta go. Yeah, some kid's calling me over. Talk to you later, ok, bye.'

Warren slumped over his table. He hated being that way with his mom but sometimes… He didn't know what it was but every so often feelings of resentment would rise to the surface though he wasn't sure why.

Suddenly this girl with about a mile of blonde hair appeared. Apparently she and her friend Mary-Lou had been talking and she wondered, in the sweetest little voice possible, if his dad really was Baron Battle because they just couldn't agree and she'd been chosen to come and ask.

Warren stared at this blonde idiot with a look of utter disbelief. _Was she joking? _Warren wondered. _Did this blonde blip of a thing really not know?_ He glared at her until she wandered off looking even more confused than she had when she'd arrived. _If that was even possible_, Warren thought dryly.

Then the bell rang and Warren glumly dug out his class schedule and having read off 'Training' he ambled slowly over to the gym. As he walked in, a bright orange suit with white pads was thrust at him by Coach Boomer who told him in no uncertain terms to get himself changed and into that gym in five minutes.

Apparently, he was late.

Warren wandered into the gym pulling at his suit. It was distinctly too small in certain areas, the pads poked him and he was too hot. The afternoon was not boding well.

'Right,' asserted the Coach, 'now that Mr. Peace has deigned to grace us with his presence, we'll pair you up. Peace, you're with,' his eyes roved the assembled students before settling on, 'Storm.'

As the Coach continued pairing off students, Warren glanced at his partner. Tall but thin and looked like a puff of wind would blow him right over. What was weirder still was that this guy didn't have a drop of colour in him; he was completely white, except for his eyes that were the coldest blue Warren had ever seen.

'What?' Storm asked.

'Nothing.'

'You were staring at me, what is it?'

'You're just so…pale.'

'Yeah, well, I'm Snow Storm, go figure.'

_Woah, _Warren thought_, that guy seriously needs to chill out_. And then he smiled to himself at the unintentional pun.

'Okay,' announced Coach Boomer, 'during your life as super-heroes, you will encounter many super-villains who you must defeat. Some of you,' his eyes lighted on Warren, 'will be more familiar with this than others.'

'So today we'll be playing a little game known as 'Defeat the Villain'. Your pair will be split up. One will play the villain, the other, the hero. The villain will recreate the actions of an actual super-villain and the hero will attempt to stop him. Powers, I'm told, can be used at full force, the attractive suits you're wearing will protect you…don't ask me how, ask Medulla.'

'So, first up, let's have…Peace and Storm. Storm, on this occasion you will play the villain and will recreate the actions of…' at this point the Coach leaned down and whispered something in Storm's ear. 'Let the game commence!'

Suddenly, they were no longer in the gym but a city block and Storm was no longer a pale puff of a thing but…

'Dad?' asked Warren in amazement but before he knew it, Storm/Baron Battle had pounded the ground with his giant hammer causing Warren to fall over. 'What is this? What's going on?'

'What's the matter, son? Don't you want to play catch with your old man?' And at this, the Baron threw a car at Warren who instinctively fireballed it, causing its complete destruction.

'Good,' approved his father. 'Your powers have advanced rapidly. But let's see how you cope with _this_.' A truck came sailing through the air towards him. Warren was scared and ran. He'd never known the true extent of his father's powers because he'd never been there while Warren grew up. He was the reason Warren was avoided everywhere he went, why he got funny looks in the street and whispers behind his back. Why no one would ever give him a chance…

'Hey, Dad!' Warren yelled, 'Is that all you got?' He stepped out from behind the building he'd been hiding behind, his arms ablaze and the flames started spreading towards his torso.

'Where's the big bad, huh? I mean, a quadruple life sentence for this? Come on, what more have you _got_? He ran headlong towards his father, who was, after all just a normal sized man. Warren threw him down; the Baron completely taken by surprise had no time to react as Warren threw fireball after fireball onto his father.

'You were never here! You lousy piece of scum! You're the reason my life is so terrible, why everyone avoids me! You know what Dad? I'm 17 and I've never been in love, hell, no ones ever been near me because they're all scared of what could happen to them! Why did you have to be a villain huh? Why couldn't you help the world instead of trying to destroy it?' Warren's fireballs had grown in size and power but he couldn't stop himself.

Suddenly, he felt strong arms clamp around the parts of his body that weren't on fire and pull hard. Storm was rushed to the medical ward for burns treatment to his entire body.

'Warren! Warren, what in hell's name do you think you're doing?'

Warren stared around the empty gym.

'Where's my father? Why won't he finish the fight? Come back and fight you coward!' He broke down sobbing, 'Come back and fight…'

A/N: If you read this please review so I know I'm not missing sleep for nothing!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to all those who have reviewed, it makes me excited when I get a little email saying someone liked the story! It makes it all worth it even though I enjoy it anyway! Keep reviewing, it means a lot!

'Warren James Peace! I cannot believe you did that to a poor innocent boy!' Mrs. Peace's eyes flashed with anger as she slammed the front door behind them. She was far removed from her usual state of grace and tranquillity. 'He could have been killed if the Coach hadn't pulled you off him in time!'

'Yeah, well, when your Dad's one of the most notorious super villains to ever walk the earth, I guess the odds aren't exactly stacked in your favour when it comes to keeping calm!'

Warren was seriously annoyed, he couldn't believe he'd turned into a sobbing wreck in the middle of the gym floor. He couldn't remember the last time he cried, anywhere.

'Anyway,' sniped Warren, 'it was Coach Boomer who told Storm who to mimic! Dad's appearance may not have been real but the damage he could have inflicted certainly was!'

'Enough!' snapped Mrs. Peace, 'you're just lucky they didn't expel you for this! A week's suspension away from your friends ought to teach you a lesson,' Warren didn't have the heart to correct her, 'and I'm taking away your TV and your telephone. Now get to your room and don't you dare set foot outside the door until I say so!'

Warren grunted and trudged up the stairs to his room. He couldn't believe this was happening again…

_(Warren's PoV)_

Twice in two years, no wonder Mom's freaking out. I mean, it wasn't even my fault last time. If you had two giants about to kick the shit out of you, wouldn't you employ self-defence? Admittedly mine is a little more dangerous than your average punch but then I'm a little more dangerous than your average guy!

Boomer should have got that, don't they have meetings to discuss future pupils anyway! I wouldn't say provoking me was exactly a great idea, especially with _him_. Boomer should _not_ have done that, and the way they just took his side, like what I feel doesn't matter! Even Mom didn't believe I had no control! Of all people I thought she'd understand.

I get that she's worried I'll turn out like Dad, incinerating and destroying everything in sight but she shouldn't, I could never do that. Not like he did, leave her and destroy our lives, what kind of man could do that to his family if he truly loved them? Obviously a family wasn't enough excitement for him.

I wonder if he ever thinks about us, about what he gave up just to be known as the Big Bad? A quadruple life sentence is about right, one for my mom, one for me and the other two for those heroes he killed, Trailblazer and … whatever, its not like anything can be done about it now. The day he destroyed their lives was the day he destroyed mine and any chance I had of leading a half-normal life!

What was it that Mom always said? Something like if he was stupid enough to pass up on our lives then he deserves to be in jail. He obviously wasn't that great a villain though, if the Commander caught him. Plenty have avoided capture and manage to hide out somewhere. Better to be known for a missing dad than a supremely evil one. Mom used to tell me when I was little that Dad was just away on business, when in fact it was the results of his 'business' that were keeping him away.

I hate doing this to her and apparently she shouts because she cares (or so she says) and doesn't want me to end up like _that man_ but I guess some part of me will always be out of control. We just found that out the hard way.

Anyway, it's really all her fault – she shouldn't have been so stupid as to shack up with him in the first place, I mean, did she ever think it could work? But I suppose they were in love at one point.

Love. I'm 17 and I've never been in love. Hell, I've never even had a girlfriend; they've all been too scared they'd get incinerated if they got too close. I wouldn't know so I can't say either way!

So I shut myself away. It's easier than dealing with real life and all the crap that's just waiting to get you.

Like him. He left to escape life and his responsibilities, to escape me. Bastard! I hope he rots in jail. He's already destroyed my life – any chance I had at a normal one was eradicated when I was conceived. And it's his entire fault… If I ever meet him…

Warren felt his arms starting to burn as he thought about the totally crap hand he'd been dealt in life. The flames rippled up from his fingertips and soon he was fully flaming. _No, don't let him win again_. The flames subsided and Warren was left with the warm tingling feeling he always had afterwards.

He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling wondering what had happened to Storm. He had to be alright, right? Warren needed to graduate Sky High with a spotless record if he was ever to be a hero and make up for the wrong his father committed. He guessed a dead classmate wouldn't exactly help him move on. No, he had to be fine; otherwise there would have been some sort of jail involved. Warren was pretty sure of that.

He gazed at the pile of books Principal Powers had given him to 'think about' during his suspension. 'How to Fight your Inner Villains' and 'Fight or Flight: Make the Hero's Choice' were just two of the 'appealing' looking titles that caught Warren's eye. He sighed and resigned himself to the fact that, without his TV, he was probably going to have to read these to stop boredom from killing him.

As he reached to pick up the nearest one ('You and your Sidekick') something else caught Warren's eye that made him stop. The ring that sat on the third finger of his right hand was glowing. His Dad had given him this before his incarceration and told him never to take it off. Even though Warren would rather die than have anything to do with his dad again, he kept it on as a reminder of that he could become if he wasn't careful. He stared at the ring but as suddenly as it had started glowing, it stopped. Warren was puzzled and shook his head. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light.

As he lay on his bed with the tome he'd chosen a sudden thought crossed Warren's mind –

This was going to be a very long week.

A/N: Sorry if I made him a bit too OC but I find it hard writing personal viewpoints, at least for guys!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been two months since Warren's suspension and so far he hadn't got into any trouble, not unless you counted the time he 'accidentally' set Medulla's lab coat on fire.

It was the last week of the semester before the Christmas vacation and as Warren walked in the building, you could definitely tell that Christmas was in the air. On the grass at the front of the school a girl with ice power was creating blocks of the cold hard stuff which was being carved into Christmassy shapes by a boy who shot knives out of his hands. All in all, Warren was impressed.

Once inside he noticed that the redhead had apparently grown a firtree that Stronghold had carried into the main hall and stuck in a pot, getting covered in needles in the process. A small smile played around the corner of Warren's lips as he watched him struggle to get the needles out of his hair.

However, what was dominating his thoughts was his mom. He'd woken up this morning and found that she was nowhere in the house and her cell was off. She often had to leave, to help with important meetings, forming of new governments and so on but usually she left a note of she couldn't tell him herself. But then again, Warren shrugged; maybe she hadn't had time to scrawl something. She'd probably call tonight, he reassured himself.

'All students are reminded of the obligatory attendance at the Powers Showcase, which is held this evening at 5.30pm. Parents and school governors will be attendance so I expect nothing less than perfect behaviour.' Principal Powers' voice echoed throughout the school on the PA system. 'Would all those participating in the Showcase make their way to the gym immediately after homeroom for a final rehearsal.'

Inwardly Warren groaned and wondered if now would be a good time to test the system that prevented pupils falling off the floating school. He had forgotten that today was the Showcase.

The pride of Sky High, the event happened every year where the heroes of the future showed off their powers and a display was co-ordinated by the seniors showing the control they had over their developing abilities.

Once they were all assembled in the gym, Coach Boomer took charge.

'Right, freshmen on the left, seniors on the right – get a move on, come on Peace that means you too!'

Warren threw the Coach a sour look as he sloped off to join the rest of his classmates. The freshmen heroes would be exhibiting their powers by attacking a stone column, 9 foot tall and weighing about 3 tons. They would show what they could do and the extent of their powers. The seniors, however, who had extremely advanced powers would do an impressive display, using their powers for the ultimate visual experience. Principal Powers would round off the whole thing with a speech.

Along with his classmates, he sat in the seats around the gym while the seniors rehearsed. He saw Stretch warming up for when he would have to dodge the lightning bolts that Strom, a giant guy with control over the weather, would be throwing his way.

Warren, who had deliberately chosen to sit away from the main group of his peers, was annoyed to find that, when he looked up, the girl from his bus stop was standing next to him.

'Do you mind if I sit here?' the girl asked. Her hair seemed to have a deep blue, almost purple tint to it and the same coloured jewel dangled from her a cord around her throat.

'Yes,' he replied bluntly. If he had to endure this weird form of torture, he would prefer to do so alone. Which was why he was surprised when the girl plonked herself down just one seat away from him.

'If you were going to sit down anyway, then why'd you ask?

'Common courtesy, something you obviously know nothing about,' she replied cattily.

Warren sighed and resigned himself to the fact that even though he could win most battles, to try and win this one with a roomful of extremely powerful people would probably be a bad idea.

'I'm Raven by the way.'

Warren made a noise that could be only interpreted, as _I don't care_, barely lifting his head in acknowledgement. Why was it that when you most wanted to be alone, people would insist on irritating you?

'I know who you are of course, you're Warren Peace. Baron Battle's son.'

'Look,' Warren snapped, 'if you've come to say something just say it already. You can't irritate me enough to make me ignite. It would be a waste of perfectly good oxygen which someone more worthwhile than you could be breathing.'

It was a little harsh, he knew, but the girl really was annoying and he couldn't afford to get suspended again. He needed to build a reputation for himself worthy of a hero and not turn out to be just like his dad. He needed to eclipse him.

The girl was about to open her mouth to make some sort of reply when,

'Freshmen!' Coach Boomer called, 'You're up next, get yourselves down here!'

Warren was almost relieved; at least this meant he wouldn't have to continue in this inane conversation.

'Ok, you know the drill by now, form your lines.'

The freshmen lined up in six rows of five, each perfectly aligned. They faced five giant columns that were supposed to hold out until the end so they could each display their power. Warren was in the third row; he noticed Raven was in the one in front and the redhead and Stronghold were in the front row, naturally.

'First line, go!'

Stronghold flew up and punched off the top of the column and the redhead crushed the top of hers with some vines that came out of nowhere.

'Second line, go!'

He watched Raven – even though she was irritating there was something intriguing about her. She stuck out her hand; palm facing the column and it started falling backward only to bounce back up again without her moving her hands at all. As it was about to topple onto the students, she moved her hand in an upward gesture and it stood upright again.

'Third row, go!'

Warren let the flames engulf his arms, enjoying it for once, and threw several fireballs at the highest part of his column, destroying a good part of it and leaving scorch marks.

He stepped out of his line and walked to the 'safe area' behind the remaining students. Still wondering about Raven's power, he walked over to her and asked her about her abilities.

'I'm sorry, talking to you is a waste of perfectly good oxygen. And if you want to know so badly, a bright boy like you should be able to figure it out,' she added patronisingly as she wandered off.

He stared after her, slightly taken aback. No one had ever spoken to him like that and got away unmarked. He frowned, why hadn't he reacted?

'Alright, now don't forget to be here by 5pm so we can start at 5.30pm sharp! If you mess this up, Principal Powers will not be pleased!'

'You're right there Coach Boomer,' she said as she sailed into the gym. 'That was a very impressive display I just saw. By all of you,' she added pointedly, looking at Warren. 'I expect the same level of competence this evening. Now you can all go to lunch early.'

A/N: I know this one wasn't too interesting but if I added the next one to it, it would be a giant chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I'm really excited about this chapter!

Also, am so sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I've just had so much schoolwork it's been untrue!

Hope you like the chapter!

Warren sat on a bench in the school grounds just staring at his feet. He was, quite frankly, bored. School had let out at 3pm and it was only 4.30 now!

Principal Powers had asked everyone who wasn't involved in the Showcase to go home and be back for the start at 5.30pm. She _said_ it was because she was leaving as well and wasn't happy with not knowing who was wandering around the school. Personally, Warren found that a bit strange but, whatever, she was the principal.

This meant all the teachers had gone home as well, leaving Coach Boomer in charge of around 60 pretty powerful kids. Unfortunately, there had been some sort of problem with the stone columns the kids were supposed to be destroying so he'd left the participating students to their own devices until 5pm when they had to be back in the gym.

The freshmen seemed to have congregated in the main hall but Warren, surprisingly, wasn't in the mood for a bunch of peppy kids getting excited about blasting a piece of stone.

A cold winter wind whistled through the campus. _Odd, _Warren thought, _I've never felt the wind in here before. The shield must be down._

The shield was a forcefield created by the school to keep it safe from the perils of hanging in the sky, namely stray birds and the occasional low flying plane that hadn't been informed of the large permanent structure occupying airspace over Manhattan.

Usually vehicles (and people) could only break through the shield if the scanners recognised them. However, what with all the 'unrecognised forms' that would be attending the school that evening, the shield had been lowered for ease and so the 'esteemed guests' wouldn't have to suffer any inconveniences.

Warren shivered as the wind blew through the campus again. Even though he disliked the excitement his classmates were generating, he disliked the bitterly cold wind even less. As he picked up his stuff and started to walk back towards the building, a strange, invisible force was at work slowly sliding his father's ring off his finger with the utmost care. Warren didn't notice and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans against the cold.

He hadn't realised just how much the shield protected them from.

The ring, meanwhile, was slowly making its way through the air back towards the tree behind the bench Warren had been sitting on. A delicate, pale hand closed over the orange gem that glowed so brightly now.

I can't believe I'm doing this! If Uncle Schnee doesn't let me help him now, what the hell will it take? I've followed Warren Peace since uncle told me he was looking for him and now he's vulnerable without the ring. If he doesn't strike now, I will.

The shadowy figure walked, shoulders hunched, towards the school. The wind had to be a sign he was coming. He was, wasn't he? He'd be a fool to miss out on this opportunity.

Warren was lying on the floor in the main hall, his head resting on his bag, trying to drown out his peers with his music. His hand went to the third finger of his right hand. It was a habit he had, twirling his ring, when he was bored or anxious. Right now he was a little of both. His hand closed around an empty finger.

His ring! Where was his ring? He patted his pockets and looked around on the floor. He hadn't noticed it coming off. He was filled with an overwhelming fear. He needed to get the ring back. He'd only just reached the doors to check the grounds when he walked into the solid figure of Coach Boomer blocking his path.

'And just where do you think you're going Mr. Peace? It's 5pm and you are staying here.'

'But Coach I need to – '

'Whatever it is it can wait. When I say 5, I mean 5!'

'But Coach – '

'NOW!' yelled the Coach, displaying his impressive vocal talents.

Warren slunk back into the hall and followed the rest of the students into the gym. It was set up for the Showcase.

On one side of the room was a long set of bleachers reaching from one end to the other. Opposite them was silver staging in front of a large set of windows draped with a giant Sky High banner. Between the bleachers and the windows were the five stone columns they had practised on earlier that day except whole and unscorched, of course.

The students would line up in their rows facing the columns with their backs to the audience and one after the other would display their power.

'Right, so once you've done your bit wait for everyone else on the line to do so and then file off to the right and sit in the designated area,' the Coach asserted. 'Ok, it is now 5.10 so - '

The windows behind the banner suddenly burst open and the banner itself was blown towards the Coach, entangling him in its folds.

A figure in white floated up from below the open window surrounded by a further ten figures, all dressed in black, each bearing a motif on their cloaks of a white tornado. The man at the front of the group resembled someone Warren had seen before…and had nearly killed. The man before him was completely drained of colour, white skin, eyes, and hair, everything except for an orange gem set in silver.

Warren's ring.

The students were screaming, huddling together, trying to hide under the bleachers but Warren could barely hear them. He stood stock still in the middle of the gym floor, watching the powerful, floating form toss his ring back and forth.

'So, Mr. Peace. I've waited a long time to see you.'

His voice had a surprisingly smooth quality, one you would expect from a civilised gentleman who would offer you tea. Not one who would burst into your school and scare your classmates.

'You look exactly how I imagined. The spitting image of your father.'

At this he sailed in through the window landing just in front of the stone columns. He extended a pale, ghostly hand to Warren.

'Delighted, I'm sure.'

Warren didn't take the hand. He was burning inside but from somewhere a voice of reason appeared which warned him against taking an aggressive stance with someone who obviously had an awful lot more power than he did. Instead, he settled for adding a severely hostile tone to his voice.

'Who the hell are you? And how did you get…' He trailed off; the shield. It left a wide window of opportunity for every super-villain on the planet to walk in. When this is over, he reminded himself, Principal Powers really needs a good talking to.

_But, _a thought drifted across Warren's brain, _no one was supposed to be able to find the school unless they already knew where it was. Or if someone told them…_

'How did you find us?' demanded Warren.

'One question at a time Mr. Peace. My name is Arctic Wind, an arch-nemesis of your father for many years. His arrest was the result of one of my most ingenious traps. When the Commander locked him away, well my life was made so much easier! As to how I found you, that has to be the part of my plan I'm most proud of.'

'I believe you know my niece, Raven,' Wind continued, 'it was she who told me that you were at her school, and then she used her powers to strip you of the one thing that made you invulnerable to my powers; this ring. This hunk of metal has restricted me for so many years but now it's off, I can complete my plan – to destroy the Peace family.'

'But why? My dad's already in jail! What can come of my death?' Warren demanded angrily.

God, his classmates were useless. Crying, shaking lumps. Were they or were they not the superheroes of the future?

'Ah, but its not just your death that will destroy your family. One member of it will survive…'

He gestured towards the window and Raven appeared from below with another person who was in her power. A large black helmet covered her head and mouth leaving only her eyes and nose poking out.

'Mom! What – ?' Warren exclaimed, 'What have you done to her, you evil…'

'Now, now Mr. Peace, she's perfectly safe, no harm shall come to her. You see, a long time ago your mother, father and I all attended Sky High together, the same class actually. Your mother and I were very much in love but then your father appeared on the scene and discredited me. He told her all about my villainous plans for you see, by that time I was already well on the way towards the title of super villain. Your father, on the other hand, was still a good guy and pulled your mother away from me into his arms. They had you and then… well, you know the rest.'

He smiled, if you could call it that. 'I have waited for this moment for so long. With you gone, your mother will be vulnerable. That helmet you see on her prevents her from using her powers and she will have no choice but to be with me. But for that to happen, you must die!'

Arctic Wind raised his arms and an almighty wind whipped through the gym. It spun Warren round and round in circles and try as he might he could not power up. Every time he got anything resembling a flame lit it was instantly blown out.

The wind grew colder, ice, snow and hail were incorporated into the gusts that enclosed Warren. He grew colder and colder, his will fading, he wanted to sit down, to sleep.

Meanwhile the guys in the black robes had sought out Warren's classmates and were attacking them. It turned out that when attacked, the red head could do some pretty awesome stuff with trees and vines but everytime she got one of them bound, another would free him. It seemed a never-ending cycle. The Stronghold kid had managed to break up one of the columns and was throwing it at various bad guys but they were no good. Someone was destroying them before they even made impact. The kids were running out of ideas and Warren was dying.

'Uncle, stop!' Suddenly Raven ran forward. 'Stop! You told me he wouldn't die!'

'And did you really expect me to keep my word child? I have not waited this long to be left unsatisfied. No, Mr. Peace here will die before the night is over. It's only a matter of time. Look, he's already in a ball on the floor. Pitiful, nothing compared to his father.'

'No!

Raven ran towards Warren, curled up and shaking. He could feel the life slipping from him. He was cold, so cold and all he wanted to do was to let go but something inside of him was stronger. He was not going to die like this.

Suddenly a giant forcefield sprung up around him. The wind was gone and Raven was standing next to him, trying to hold off the winds of her uncle. She was shaking from the effort but the shield was holding.

Warren's conscience kicked in, he was still alive but only just. He knew he had to warm up and tried igniting. Nothing. He tried again and a small flicker of warmth ran along his arms. Again and again he tried while the girl who had at first tried to get him killed now tried to save his life. Eventually, huge flames exploded from his arms and he felt the life rush back into his body.

'You can shoot out of this thing you know!' Raven yelled over the noise of the winds.

He turned to look at her, hate and rage coursing through his body. But no, he needed her to stay alive for the time being. He shot fireballs at the guys in black, helping his friends because they had definitely not being expecting an attack from behind. They fell to the ground, stunned and his classmates stared at him, surprised as he was that he was still alive.

He turned to face Arctic Wind and looked at him in a new light. Before he had just been an aggressor but now it was personal. The winds had momentarily stopped as the villain stared at his destroyed minions. Warren took his opportunity and sunk a series of possibly the most powerful fireballs he'd ever thrown into the guy's chest.

He staggered; fell onto his knees but wasn't defeated yet. He sent a blast of ice at Raven, knocking her down and destroying the forcefield that had protected him.

'What now boy?' The once suave voice was now croaky as he died slowly. 'What are you going to do now? I'm dying but I can still kill your mother - ,'

He shot another blast of ice at the place where Mrs. Peace had been standing.

'What, where did she go?' Arctic Wind and Warren looked around in confusion.

'Warren, kill him!' shouted someone, 'We've got your mom!'

Warren didn't need any further encouragement and joined his hands together, creating a giant fireball.

'You put my father away and almost killed me You tried to kill my mother but you failed. It would seem the Peace family will be your demise after all.'

And at this Warren threw the giant ball of flames at the deathly white villain who fell over, dead.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I know, I know! I'm sorry it's been so long but school was really busy as we finished for the Christmas holidays. But now I am on holiday hopefully I'll be writing more! Enjoy the chapter!

It wasn't long after Warren killed Arctic Wind that Principal Powers arrived to check everything was in place for the start of the Showcase.

Instead she found several dead bodies, an incapacitated Coach (he'd knocked himself unconscious when he fell to the gym floor trying to disentangle himself), a constricted superhero, many frightened students including one that was nearly dead and…Warren.

He stood there, staring at the body of the man he'd just killed. His father's arch nemesis dead on the floor.

And he didn't feel a thing. No pain, guilt or remorse. No sadness, shock or disgust. Nothing.

Nothing that is until his mother came rushing over. Her helmet had been removed and she ran across the gym floor, tears streaming down her face as she clasped him in such a tight embrace his breath was taken away – he had, after all, almost died and wasn't exactly well at that point.

'Mom, I can't breathe,' he croaked.

'I'm sorry darling,' she sobbed letting go and looking up at his face, pushing the hair back out of his eyes. 'I just…' Overcome with the pure emotion of it all she collapsed against him. 'I thought I'd never see you again. They kidnapped me, right out of my own room! That man wanted me to see…to see your – ' She broke down again.

'Mom, Mom it's ok. I'm fine, you're fine. Everything will be alright. He's dead; I made pretty sure of that. He won't be able to hurt us again.'

'Warren,' said someone, touching his arm. He turned and saw it was Principal Powers. 'I hate to take you from your mother but the Governor would like to speak with you.'

'Who's the Governor?' asked Warren in a guarded tone.

'He oversees and checks all superhero activities. I'd say what you achieved tonight is definitely worthy of his attention,' she said with a smile.

'What does he want?' he asked as they walked across the gym to Principal Powers' office opposite, leaving his mother in the care of some students.

'All he'll want is your account of what happened. He just needs to 'sign it off' as it were. Make sure all the deaths were justified. And find out what happened to Raven…'

'Who cares what happened to her!' Warren exploded. 'She's the reason all of this happened – why my mom was kidnapped, why there are at least a dozen kids in there with injuries and goodness knows how many more will suffer from shock. She's the reason I almost died! Have you thought about that?' he shouted but it turned into racking coughs and then he bent over wheezing, trying to catch his breath.

'Warren?' his principal asked concernedly. 'Warren?'

He collapsed on the floor, clawing for air. His lungs were burning as he clamoured for oxygen.

'Warren!' she exclaimed, crouching over him. 'Help! We need a medic in here!' she cried.

Mrs. Peace and Nurse Spex ran in from the gym to Warren and Principal Powers. The nurse scanned his body.

'Ice is forming around his lungs. A delayed attack.' She said looking up at the principal and Warren's mother. 'More and more villains are using them these days.'

'My boy, my beautiful boy! Don't go, fight it! You're so strong!' Mrs Peace cried, trying to reach him as he lay crumpled on the floor.

'Mrs. Peace!' Nurse Spex asserted trying to fend the anxious mother off. 'I appreciate this is difficult for you but I'm going to have to ask you to stand back.'

'Lydia,' she said, addressing Principal Powers, 'you need to get him to the medical ward and see if you can get Medulla there too – he may be able to help.'

The principal levitated Warren's body several feet off the ground and along the corridors accompanied by Nurse Spex and a distraught Mrs. Peace.

_A week later._

Warren woke up, soaked in sweat. _What's going on? It must be 100 degrees in here! _he thought. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed to open the window but found that they collapsed under him. Disgruntled he managed to climb awkwardly back into his sodden bed.

'I thought I heard you moving around,' smiled Nurse Spex as she pottered across the ward. 'I'm glad you're feeling better.'

'What the hell's going on?' Warren demanded growing steadily more uncomfortable in his hospital bed.

'You had quite a nasty accident when you took on Arctic Wind. Well, I say accident. It was actually a delayed attack that almost cost you your life. But you've recovered remarkably well,' she said cheerfully.

'Huh?'

'Arctic Wind hit you with some sort of ice blast that encased your lungs and almost reached your heart. We've had to keep you really hot to help melt it. The fact that you've woken up seems to suggest the ice has melted.'

'Right…' he said slowly trying to digest all this information not entirely sure how he was going to deal with this. 'But now that I'm better can we turn the heat down? Or at least crack a window?' he asked.

'Before we move you somewhere else I'll just need to do a quick scan,' she said removing her glasses.

She began scanning Warren's upper body but before she could finish her scan she was interrupted.

'Hey! Hey, what do you think you're doing?' he cried crossing his arms over his chest self-consciously.

'It's a scan Warren – I just need to see what's going on in there. You've had countless others.'

'Wait, I've had these before? When I was unconscious? Isn't that some sort of violation?' he accused, getting slightly angry.

'Mr. Peace please calm down, you'll do yourself no good getting all worked up. Your mother said we had to do whatever was necessary to cure you – that includes scans! So if you'll just let me finish - ' she said gesturing towards him.

'My mom! Is she ok? I want to see her, where is she?'

'When we've done this and put you in a cooler room you can see her.'

'Why do I have to move? Why can't I just stay here?' he asked petulantly.

'You weren't the only one to get hit with that blast Warren,' said Nurse Spex drawing back the curtains next to Warren's bed revealing Raven lying out cold on the other side of the ward surrounded by fan heaters.

'But if I'm better, why isn't she?' he questioned.

'From what we can gather it would appear yours was a gradual accumulation of ice whereas Raven got a direct hit. She's very weak and many of her internal organs are still covered in ice. On the bright side,' she said cheerily, ' the ice is thinning in places but her heart is still very cold though beating.'

Warren looked over at the lifeless figure and felt none of the hate he had done when he first saw her. If she hadn't been there to save him, it would have been him lying in that hospital bed. It would have destroyed his mother.

'Right,' said the nurse having completed her scan, 'there's still a thin layer of ice on some parts of your intestines but your internal heat will take care of that – it's probably why you're awake earlier than Raven as well. Your internal body temperature is 38 degrees Celsius. You should be able to go home in a couple of days. You've had quite a few visitors as well you know,' she added as Warren gathered together what little stuff he had and they walked down the ward to a much cooler room.

'Who'd come to visit me?' he asked.

'Will and Layla came with Zach, Ethan and Magenta and of course your mother.'

'Why did they come? I've never even spoken to them,' he said surprised.

'You don't say,' Nurse Spex said dryly as she checked the thermostat. 'They wanted to visit the person who saved their lives. They told me they were about to give up fighting when you killed those guys in black.'

'I did that?' he asked astounded.

'Sure, you're the first freshman to ever be made an honorary superhero. There's going to be a ceremony in the gym when it's fixed up and of course, only when you're well,' she added with a stern look in her eye.

Warren started to smile but it turned into a huge yawn.

'You need your rest Warren. I'll tell your mother you've woken up.'

Nurse Spex?' he said as he slid under the cool sheets of the bed.

'Yes?'

'If Will and his friends stop by again, I wouldn't mind letting them in,' he said gruffly.

'I'll let them know,' she said with a smile as she turned out the lights and closed the door behind her.

'Shhh! You'll wake him!' someone whispered as someone else banged into Warren's bedside table.

'I can't help it,' replied that someone, 'it's too dark in here.'

'Let me help,' growled Warren as he lit up one hand.

'Warren, I'm sorry we didn't mean to wake you. We just wanted to bring you these,' said a female voice accompanied by a hand thrusting some flowers towards his face. 'I'm - '

'Layla, yeah I know, the girl with the plants. And you're Will Stronghold,' he said, his eyes darkening.

'Yeah, sorry about waking you, we can go if you'd rather.'

'Nah, it's ok,' he said sitting up, 'I've been asleep for about a week, a few hours awake won't kill me. You guys would make terrible burglars you realise that?'

Layla smiled but the rest of them laughed nervously. They hadn't minded visiting Warren when he was unconscious even though it was a bit weird but now that he was awake with full fireball capability it was somewhat different.

Warren flicked on the bedside light as he let his hand go out.

'So how have you guys been since…?' he asked.

'Shouldn't we be the ones enquiring after your health?' joked Layla. Unlike the others Warren Peace didn't intimidate her. After seeing him at his most vulnerable, lying practically dead and then coming back from the brink of death to save all their lives she didn't see how anyone could be frightened of him. He was, in a way, her hero.

'I think we're alright but we definitely wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for you,' replied Zach.

'Yeah, thanks, if you ever need anything…' said Will awkwardly, offering his hand.

Warren took it but added a little heat – he was still the son of the man who'd imprisoned his father and old habits die hard. There had been a time when he would have gladly torched the guy standing next to his bed but, then again, times change. Maybe this marked a change in the Peace-Stronghold relations.

'What happened after they brought me here?' asked Warren.

'Well the bodies were taken away by some guys in suits and the students who got hurt were fixed up,' piped up Ethan.

'Yeah, and right now they're rebuilding the gym,' added Magenta. 'It got pretty trashed after what happened but all the students and parents are pitching in to get it done. It's quite cool really.'

'And Coach Boomer?' he asked dryly.

'Well once he regained consciousness he started shooting off about Arctic Wind and how he'd pay but then of course he found out what you did and he was quieter after that,' said Will.

'Warren?' Nurse Spex poked her head around the door. 'Your mother is here – she's pretty anxious to see you.'

'Yeah, ok, do you guys mind…' he said gesturing towards the door.

'No,'… 'Course not,'… 'Get well soon!' came the replies as they made their way out.

'I should be home in a couple of days. I don't think my mom would mind if you visited,' he said gruffly. 'That is, if you want to,' he added as an afterthought.

Suddenly he felt a bond to these people with whom, before today, he'd never even held a conversation. _I suppose that's what near death experiences will do for you_, he thought.

'Sure, we'd love to,' said Layla. 'No-one's going back to school for at least another week. Of course we'll visit.'

Just then his mother arrived and they all hurried out of the room.

'Oh Warren,' she said tearfully as she walked into the room with her arms wide open.


	8. Chapter 8

Warren had been at home, in bed, for three days and his mother was driving him crazy. Every five minutes she would come and check on him, fiddle around with his hair, bring him drinks and snacks even when he wasn't hungry and continually bought him things he didn't need like Travel Scrabble and a weird cushioned tray for his meals.

He understood that she was worried about him but really he was fine. He just wanted to get out of bed and move around. See other human beings. So when his mom suggested he came downstairs for a little bit he jumped at the chance but first, of course, he had to wear about a million layers in case he caught cold. He waddled down the stairs strapped into a t-shirt, two jumpers, trousers, long socks and a giant dressing gown. He was sweltering but if it meant he could leave the prison that was his bedroom he would put up with it.

He ambled into his front room to find Layla, Will, Ethan, Zach and Magenta sitting on his furniture.

'Hi!' Layla said sprightly. 'I hope you don't mind us visiting but your mom wanted to keep it a surprise, cheer you up or something. She said you'd been kinda quiet lately.'

'Yeah, she's driving me crazy,' Warren whispered as he slumped into the remaining chair. 'I'm so glad to see other people I can't begin to tell you.'

'Well, I'm not sure Zach fits into that category,' said Magenta laughing.

'Hey! What about you, guinea pig girl?' said Zach, only slightly offended.

Mrs. Peace stood in the hallway listening to the noise coming from her front room. It had been almost ten years since Warren had had any friends to the house. She was pleased to hear the sound of children's laughter again – it had been a long time coming. She went to open the door but then stopped, better to leave them to it, she didn't want to interrupt the beginnings of possible friendships.

'So what's been going on?' asked Warren inquisitively.

'Well the gym's finished,' said Ethan. He was still nervous of Warren but in this weakened state he felt slightly safer.

'Yeah, it looks great,' added Layla. 'It's all ready for the ceremony -.' Suddenly she looked horrified. 'Oh no! I wasn't supposed to tell you about that, it was meant to be a surprise when you came back to school.' Her face crumpled in dismay.

'A surprise?' said Warren. 'Well it was already ruined before you got here, don't worry. Nurse Spex told me about it practically as soon as I was awake.'

'Oh, that's alright then.' Layla's face visibly lightened.

Warren couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked when she smiled but then immediately dismissed the thought from his head. She was with Will and pretty happy by the looks of it from the way they held hands and he looked at her constantly.

'So, when's the ceremony supposed to be?' he asked.

'A couple of days' time, Friday I think,' said Will. It was strange for Warren to see this guy sitting in his house, a thing he never would have thought possible just two weeks ago. But then again, it's not every day that supervillains attack you.

'Well that gives my mom enough time to buy all the film in the city then,' Warren joked. 'No one is going to be able to see for all the flashes.'

'I think Medulla is filming it and about a million news crews are going to be there as well so I'm sure there'll be enough footage for everyone!' commented Zach.

They stayed at Warren's for another two hours, talking, laughing, and forming the first friendships Warren had made in a long time. They would have stayed longer except Warren's mom came in and politely asked them to leave.

'I'm sure Warren appreciates you stopping by,' she said, looking at her son fondly, 'but he still needs his rest. You don't get over something like that overnight.'

'No, of course not. It was very nice of you to let us come to visit Warren Mrs. Peace,' said Layla as they all got up off the furniture and made their way towards the door. 'Bye, Warren,' she added as she left.

'Bye, thanks for coming you guys,' he said.

After they had all left Warren slumped back down in the sofa, exhausted but happy. It turned out being friends with the bunch of freaks wasn't so bad after all.

'Warren,' said Mrs. Peace as she put her head around the door, 'what would you like…' she trailed off. Warren had fallen asleep, tucked up in his dad's old robe. She smiled, smoothed the hair off his forehead and tiptoed out of the room.

Friday 

'Warren! Warren honey we're going to be late! Get downstairs this second otherwise we'll miss the ceremony!'

Mrs. Peace stood anxiously at the bottom of the stairs checking her watch and tapping her foot.

'Warren!' she said shrilly, 'we really can't leave it any longer!'

'Relax mom,' he said as he appeared at the top of the stairs, 'they can't start without me, who would they give my award to?'

'You're right, I suppose,' she sighed, 'but still, it looks pretty bad to turn up late to your own awards ceremony.'

He lolloped easily down the stairs and out of the door. 'Come on then, what are you waiting for? We'll be late,' he said with a grin.

They touched down on the school carpark and were instantly greeted by Principal Powers.

'Mrs. Peace, Warren, welcome! It's good to see you looking so well. Now we don't have a moment to lose. If you'd follow me please, Coach Boomer will show you to your seats. I must begin the proceedings!' she bustled as she led them into the school and handed them over to the Coach.

Warren and his mother were led up the central aisle of seats and placed on the front row. On the opposite side he saw Layla and her friends - his friends – and gave them a small, nervous smile. Layla smiled back at him and gave a little thumbs-up.

Principal Powers started the ceremony with, 'Superheroes, ladies, gentlemen, faculty and students. I welcome you to Sky High's new gym and the ceremony which shall open it and be remembered for many years to come. We are all gathered here today to celebrate the actions of my students and one in particular who defeated the attack on the school at the beginning of the term. For this, we thank them.'

She broke off to a round of applause from everyone in the hall.

'Now I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the events of that dreadful night so I won't but shall jump straight to the awards. Our guest of honour tonight who shall be presenting the awards to these courageous students is a duo you all know and love: the Commander and JetStream!'

Another round of applause echoed throughout the gym and Will's parents flew from the back to the front in a matter of seconds. Warren glanced over at Will who had slumped in his seat, covering his face with his hands. Apparently there were other reasons that your parents embarrassed you apart from being supremely evil.

'Thank you Principal Powers and may I say how lovely you look tonight!' said the Commander and got a reprimand from JetStream for his trouble. 'Yes, right you are dear. Now, onto the awards. We have seven awards to present this evening, six of which go to my son and his friends. So, for outstanding bravery and courage in the face of danger and death, we present these shields to Zachary Abrams, Magenta Corrola, Ethan Jones, Layla Penatini, William Stronghold and Raven Vree!'

A ripple of whispers ran around the gym,

'Raven?'

'She's getting one?'

'How the hell does she deserve one?'

'I have just been informed that Raven is still in the hospital and so is unable to accept her award for the part she played in that night's events,' announced the Commander.

'She doesn't deserve it! She was the one who caused it all!' shouted out Lash.

'That as may be, she still risked her life to save that of another and in doing so, saved the other five students we recognise here today. And so, if you would, please give the appropriate accolade to the students who could be here tonight; Zachary, Magenta, Ethan, Layla and Will!'

The five friends stood up, flushed with pride and ascended the steps, each receiving a golden shield with their name and deed embossed on the front. They smiled broadly as they shook the hands of their principal, the Commander and JetStream and collected their shield to tumultuous applause.

'And now, we come to the person without whom many of you would not be here today. He showed courage, tenacity and a desire to save others even though he himself was injured on that night. Many of you had reservations about letting this young man into your school, could the only son of Baron Battle really ever turn out to be a superhero? I think that he has shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he will make one of the finest superheroes the world has ever seen. His powers can only grow and we hope that this accolade will encourage him to use them wisely and for the greater good. And so, without further ado, I ask Warren Peace, the first freshman of Sky High to become an honorary superhero, to come up on stage to receive his award.'

Warren sat in his seat, unable to move for a moment. He couldn't quite believe this was all happening, and to him. If it had been Will he would have understood, but him?

'Warren!' his mother hissed, nudging him in the ribs. 'Get up there!'

His mother brought him back down to earth and for the first time he heard the raucous applause caused by his classmates, teachers and friends. He stood up and made it up the steps to the top of the podium. He was presented with a certificate, a gold medal in a wooden case and two crossed swords in another case with his name on a plaque below them.

He was speechless as he shook the hands of his principal and Will's parents. He couldn't see them as the people who put his father away at this moment; they were just two people who had come to honour him. The biggest smile he had ever achieved was on his face as his hair hung in his eyes. He looked out into the crowd and saw his mother crying and his friends sitting on the front row, clapping so hard their hands were a blur and smiling up at him. He didn't think he could ever feel any better as he took bow after bow and had many photos taken by the thousands of cameras that had appeared from nowhere. His heart had never felt so full with pride and love for the people in this room.

Finally the clapping subsided and Warren made it back to his seat, laden down with his awards.

'Everyone, if I could have your attention please,' called Principal Powers. 'Thank you so much for making this evening a night we will never forget. If you would all make your way to the main hall there is entertainment and refreshments.'

Suddenly the hall was filled with chatter as what seemed like hundreds of people rushed over to congratulate him. When it seemed like he'd shaken the hands of everyone in the building and his back was sore from all the congratulatory slaps he'd received he finally managed to make it into the hall where his mom and friends were. Friends – he still couldn't quite believe it, like they belonged to a different person. But now he was a different person, saving lives and getting awards, what sort of person could possibly want to avoid this?

'Hey!' said Layla as she managed to fight her way through the crowds to him. 'Nice collection of stuff you got there!' she said, nodding to the pile he'd made on the nearest chair.

'Yeah,' he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes, 'don't know what I'm going to do with it all yet but I'm sure my mom will find some nice display cabinet or something – I don't know, I guess I'll leave it up to her.'

'It's nice that she wants to do that for you though, some parents would just leave it up to their kid.'

'I suppose, but then when there's a possibility your child will turn evil I guess you got to celebrate the good things he does while you still can.'

'Hey, don't talk like that! Listen to me Warren Peace,' she said, her face suddenly turning very stern, 'you are not going to end up like your dad, do you hear me? You are going to be a good guy and save people, like me and Will and everyone else you saved that night. You can't end up being a bad guy – it's just not possible,' she whispered, her eyes shining up at him.

He looked down at her and his whole body just seemed to relax. He reached down and cupped her face in his hand, nestling his fingers in her hair. He started bending down when –

'Hey guys! What's going on? Wow, nice swords Warren, can I look?'

It was Zach; completely oblivious as to what he'd just stumbled upon. The two of them broke apart, Layla flushed and Warren feeling uncomfortable.

'Yeah, sure. Listen, could you watch those for me? There's something I gotta go do.'

He strode out of the hall and hesitated a moment before turning in the direction of the medical ward.

He sat by Raven's bed, watching her and thinking. He couldn't decide what his feelings towards her should be. Should he hate her for trying to get him killed, or be grateful towards her because she saved his life? He'd been trying to figure that one out since he'd woken up really and a week is a long time to carry around that sort of confusion. He'd thought perhaps seeing her would make up his mind – instinctive reaction and all that. But all he'd felt when he saw her, lying unconscious, was sorrow and pity for her. What had possessed her to set the whole thing off? He'd never really spoken to her, or been aware of her existence before that night.

'Ah, Mr. Peace. I wondered when you'd be back.' Nurse Spex walked into the room carrying Raven's trophy. She saw him staring at it, 'I thought it might be nice for her to see when she wakes up.'

'So she's going to be alright then?' he asked hopefully.

'It's still to early to tell. Physically she's healed but I think something else is holding her back from us. Possibly something spiritual. She can't deal with what she did yet, not even with herself. I don't think she's ready to justify herself to the world yet, or face the consequences of what she did.'

'Will she have to go to prison?'

'I honestly don't know. She certainly can't stay at Sky High once she's woken up – it's been forbidden. Anyway, I just came by to drop this off. I'll leave you alone.'

Warren sat in the dark with only the glow of a nightlight for company.

'You know Raven,' he whispered. 'I don't think I hate you. I certainly don't like you but I know I don't want to destroy you anymore. When I first saw you, making that shield thing to save me, all I could think about was how good it would make me feel to toast you there and then. But something stopped me, self-preservation I guess, but whatever it was, I'm glad it did 'cos I wouldn't want to be a murderer. Not of good people anyway. 'Cos you are a good person, I think. A little mis-guided maybe, but essentially a good person, what else would have made you change your mind? A truly evil person would have watched me die. So I guess I'm grateful to you, for saving my life now and in the future – you may have changed who I become. So, what I'm trying to say, I guess, is thank you.'

He patted her hand and stood up from the bed. He'd just turned to go when he heard a small sound and turned back around. Raven had opened her eyes.

'Wa – Warren,' she rasped and coughed a little. 'Thank you. Whatever you just did helped bring me back.'

'You were awake?' he asked incredulously.

'No, you woke me. I can't explain it, I feel at peace now.'

'Same here,' he said with a smile, 'I'll fetch Nurse Spex.'

A/N: Happy New Year everyone and thanks to CMHValex, anonymous reviews are now enabled!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Well this story is finally back! Sorry to all fans of the story that it's been so long but I got really involved in The Girl From The Paper Lantern and schoolwork so I didn't have time to keep two stories going!

Also, I wrote myself into another hole with the ending of the previous chapter but hopefully I'm out of it now!

Final thing – I know the time scale has got majorly screwed up but I'm going to start anew with the beginning of the Spring semester i.e. January some time.

It was the beginning of the new semester and to Warren all the things that happened over the past month seemed like a dream almost. The ceremony, Raven's awakening and the moment he and Layla had shared…

Warren was sitting in a corner of the cafeteria with his new friends. Will had his arm around Layla, they were still dating. Warren watched her with him, her eyes sparkling as she laughed, her hair moving as she did. That moment they had shared…would there ever be anything more to it?

'So I heard they're finally getting Raven out of here,' Will commented.

'Yeah?' Warren asked, raising his head from the stuff on his plate that was supposed to count as food. 'When?'

'Today I think. My dad heard from someone that now she's better there's no reason to keep her here.'

'What's going to happen to her?' asked Layla. In spite of everything, she didn't want Raven to be hurt. She'd been one of their classmates; it wouldn't be right to harm her.

'Something like minimum security prison somewhere with counselling to find out why she sold us all out to get on her uncle's side,' Will replied.

'Good,' said Warren.

They all looked at him, the surprise evident on their faces.

'What?' asked Will, 'I thought you two had worked this all out now. That's what you said.'

'I know, and we have, but she still deserves to be punished for what she did and someone definitely needs to find out what's going on in her mind that made her want to do it in the first place.'

'I guess,' Will said, shrugging his shoulders, 'if that's what you think man then that's fine.'

'Well it is so let's just drop it yeah?' he muttered.

Truth be told he did feel like that. If people didn't learn right from wrong when they were young then who knows what would happen to them when they got older. He knew his dad had pulled a hell of a lot of stunts when he was young, each getting more dangerous than the last. But no one had ever gotten hurt…not like what had happened when Raven pulled her trick. So he guessed he was grateful that Raven was getting the chance to become someone good as opposed to ending up like his dad.

The bell sounded for the end of lunch and reluctantly the cafeteria emptied as everyone went to their lockers before class. On their way out Warren caught Layla by the arm and pulled her to one side.

'Layla,' he started, 'where do we stand? I see you with Will and I don't know what to think.'

'Warren, please, don't do this now, not here,' she said, pushing his arm of hers.

'Well when Layla? Tell me and I'll be there cos I got to sort this out.'

Seeing that Will was walking towards them she whispered hurriedly, 'Paper Lantern at 8,' before returning to her boyfriend and away from the dangerous boy who had rescued her.

He gazed after her until someone crashed into him as they ran down the hallway. Warren spun round, grabbed the person by the collar and smashed him into the lockers next to him.

'Watch where you're going,' he growled before banging the guy back into the lockers and walking off, a faint smoke rising off his jacket. He was still Warren Peace after all, even if he had made some friends, and he had a reputation to maintain.

As he ambled down the hallway, already late for class, he noticed out the corner of his eye a helicopter landing and Raven being escorted on between two burly guys in black suits. He noticed she wore the same power dampening gear he'd seen on his dad the last time he'd visited him, seven years ago.

He stared as she was bundled on and saw her twist her head for a last glance at the school she would never return to. He felt sad for her but knew that the right thing was happening, she had to learn her lesson, even if she didn't want to.

'Daydreaming are we Mr. Peace?' asked Principal Powers from behind him.

He turned to face her, 'No, just watching Raven leaving,' he replied.

'Well you're late for class so I suggest you get going,' she added kindly. She realised what effect that day had had on Warren and knew he was a changed person. He'd still be bad but underneath it all, deep down, he was a good person. His father hadn't won.

The rest of the day drifted past in a haze for Warren. Seeing Layla after the vacation made him remember how he'd felt during that moment and although it made him nervous that he might act on it now, he knew that it was something he had to do.

Warren rolled into the Paper Lantern at quarter to eight. He hadn't been able to stay at home any longer, nerves were getting the better of him and this was an unsettling feeling. Warren Peace didn't get nervous. He'd always been so in control of the situations he found himself in but this one was different. He sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and waited for Layla.

When she walked through the door his heart started beating quicker. She saw him sitting in the corner, hiding as usual and smiled at him as she walked over. He stood up as she approached and pulled her chair out for her. Whatever else people might say about him, he did have good manners.

'So,' he said. Suddenly the situation was awkward, neither of them wanting to instigate conversation or bring up the thing they'd met to talk about. But Layla plucked up the courage.

'Warren,' she said, taking his hand in her two small ones. 'You know I like you, don't you? And that thing at the ceremony, there was heat I know, I felt it too, how could I not? But I think that's all there'll ever be, I'm sorry,' she whispered.

He took his hand from hers and laid both of his in his lap, slightly stunned.

'So, nothing Layla?' he demanded. 'Are you telling me what happened that night, what you felt, meant nothing?'

'No, not nothing Warren,' she replied, almost pleading, the sorrow evident in her voice.

'This heat that you talked about, do you get that with Stronghold?' he spat.

'It's different with Will. I've known him forever and he cares about me and I like him, I really do Warren. I just…I don't see us lasting.'

'So you're giving up on what could be for safe, reliable Captain America? You don't want to chance that on something with someone not so PC? Sure, everyone likes me now but as soon as my dad does something else, everyone will turn on me again. I'm not stupid Layla, I know how this works. I thought you weren't interested in labels,' he said bitterly.

'I'm not, you know that Warren. It's just complicated. There's more to this than just a simple choice. It's not just you vs. Will. It's everything that goes with it. How do you think all the guys would deal with it? Everyone would side with Will and I'd be the bitch jumping from one potential great superhero to the next.'

'Labels again Layla! And now you're interested in your image? How people look at you? Layla, of all people, I thought you'd be the last person to worry about that. I never thought you were that self-centred.'

She gasped, as though she'd been slapped. Her eyes filled with tears and she ran out of the restaurant. Warren thought about going after her but then didn't and slumped in his chair, emotions surging through his body as he switched between anger and sadness. She'd never speak to him again. And he was pretty certain nobody else from that group would either. He banged his hand on the table in frustration, leaving a scorch mark where his fist had made contact with the wood.

Warren was lying awake in bed that night when he heard a rattling noise. He looked around cautiously and listened hard. He heard it again, coming from his window. He pulled open the drapes and looked out. Like something from the movies, Layla was standing in his back yard throwing gravel at his window. He lifted the sash and stuck his head out.

'Layla?' he whispered.

'Yes. I hope I didn't wake you,' she replied.

'No, it's fine. Stay there, I'll be right down.'

He pulled on a jacket and boots and hurried down to the garden trying desperately not to wake his mom.

'What are you doing here?' he asked once they were sat on the bench under the giant oak tree in his yard.

'I couldn't leave everything like we did earlier. I know this is your big chance to start life anew as it were and I don't want to be the reason you end up by yourself again. So I didn't tell anyone what happened at the Paper Lantern because I still want all of us to be friends. I don't want to stop you having a high school experience like everyone else.'

In the moonlight, Warren smiled. This was so typically Layla. She was willing to forgive all the terrible stuff he'd said to her so he could have a second chance at Sky High to have friends and his 'high school experience' as she'd put it.

'Layla, I'm sorry about what happened earlier and I am so relieved that you didn't tell Will. Otherwise I'm guessing I'd have been dropped on the top of Everest or thrown into it by now. He's a good guy and I'm sorry I said all that stuff about him.'

'It's ok,' she said softly. 'You were hurt and were taking it out on me. I know you didn't mean it. Anyway, it's really late, I should probably get home, school night and all,' she said smiling.

'Are you gonna be alright to get home? I can walk you if you want.'

'I made it here, I think I can make it back. Anyway, my mom's out front in the car. I told her I had to get here and she drove me.'

'Wow, your mom's pretty cool. And she doesn't want to dismember me or anything?' he asked, slightly worried.

'No, she's fine with it, once I'd explained it all. She knows you're a good guy at heart.'

They'd reached the front gate now. As she was getting in the car Layla turned and smiled at Warren.

'I guess I'll see you at school then.'

'I guess so.'

_Ok, so maybe the situation isn't perfect,_ Warren thought as he made his way back up to his room and dropped his boots and jacket back on the floor, _but it's something at least. So maybe we won't date but at least we'll be friends. And thanks to her, I'll keep the friends I somehow got. And Kayla was wrong about Sky High. It isn't shit; in fact, it's pretty good. I'm not gonna turn into my dad anytime soon, I don't think Principal Powers would let me and maybe, despite everything, I'll have a shot at having the 'high school experience'. It won't be like everyone else's but I'll have great friends and maybe that's what it's all about. Finding your way through life with your friends by your side to guide you on your way. God knows I'll need them!_

A/N: Well it's finally the end of the first fic I started. I hope you liked reading it and please review to let me know what you thought!


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